I don’t fry food too much these days as a rule… every couple of months I will make fried chicken to honor our family’s Southern roots, BUT THEN I SAW IT… a recipe on Pinterest for Beer Battered Fish and Chips.
Against all my common sense, I think I heard the recipe calling to me, bringing back memories of a summer I spent in England years ago, and the smell of fish and chips available everywhere, served wrapped up in paper, and piping hot! I loved buying fish and chips from local vendors in several towns. Such a great memory.

Occasionally my husband or I will order this meal in a restaurant; the thought of making my own seemed daunting, but I am always trying to learn… so…I decided to try and make my own replica of British fish and chips. GULP. I crossed my fingers, toes, eyes, and anything else that I could cross, and plunged in! I used thick pieces of frozen cod for this recipe and found it, as well as the batter, to be wonderful! And how can ya go wrong with some good “chips”… FRIES???

I enjoyed every single bite of my crispy coated pieces of fish (with some good Malt Vinegar on them), and loved the delicious “chips” dipped in ketchup (gotta have ketchup on my fries). The chips (fries) are cooked twice to get them nice and crispy, and let me tell you… they were tasty! So there you have it… I was glad I made this recipe. Yum! The only thing missing was having this meal served, wrapped up in a big old piece of greasy paper… but I can live without that!

I love experimenting with food in our kitchen. I enjoy getting out of my comfort zone, learning about and trying new recipes for the first time! Maybe if you’re feeling adventurous too, you will give this recipe a try. I highly recommend it!

6-7 Tablespoons beer (light beer is best). Club soda may be substituted.

For Chips:

2 small to medium potatoes per person (peeled, cut into "finger thickness"

Serve With:

Malt Vinegar and/or Tartar Sauce

Directions

Pat fish filets dry with a paper towel. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. Gently dredge the fish in the flour, turning to coat completely. Shake off excess flour; set flour covered filets aside.

Make the batter for the fish: Add all batter ingredients to a medium bowl, except for the beer (or club soda). Whisk to combine. There will be some lumps. That's okay. Set batter aside.

Make the chips: Peel, then cut potatoes into finger thickness. Slice potatoes lengthwise, then into strips. Dry the potatoes as much as you can by patting them dry with paper towels.

Heat oil in large skillet or stock pot until it reaches 350 degrees. (No thermometer? Try dropping a tiny bit of batter into oil... it should really sizzle, and come to the surface!). Carefully put cut potatoes into hot oil. Let them cook for about 8 minutes. Remove potatoes from hot oil (I used a spatula to help remove them). Place hot potatoes onto a baking pan or a wire rack with paper towels underneath, to drain, while you cook the fish. (You will cook the potatoes a 2nd time AFTER the fish has cooked).

Add the beer or club soda to the batter, and gently mix to combine. The batter should have the consistency of slightly thinned yogurt. If it is too thick, add just a touch more beer, and stir.

Heat the oil back up to 350 degrees. While it is heating back up, place parchment paper on baking sheet (to hold the fish after you remove it from the hot oil). If you are cooking for more than two people, see notes section for tip). Place flour covered fish pieces, one at a time, into the batter and fully cover with batter. Let excess batter run off fish back into bowl. Gently put battered fish into 350 degree (HOT) oil. Cook a few pieces at a time. Cook fish for 7-8 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Remove cooked fish to parchment paper lined baking sheet to keep warm while you cook additional fish, then re-cook the "chips".

When done cooking the fish, heat the oil back to 350 degrees. Carefully add the chips. Cook for 3-4 additional minutes, until crispy and hot! Remove chips, drain.

Serve hot pieces of fish, a serving of "chips" on the side, along with some Malt Vinegar and/or tartar sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

I only cooked enough fish for two people. If you're cooking for more than 2, cook the fish in batches. Keep your oven heated to 300 degrees. As you remove cooked fish from oil, place it on paper-lined baking sheets; keep fish warm in oven until ready to serve.Calculate about 5 ounces fish per person.